Cooking

It’s a satisfying meal that warms you up on a chilly winter day. Soup can be good for you and, best of all, it’s easy to make. Now that fall is here, soup is the perfect way to warm up after coming in from the cool, evening air.
Soups are easy to make and can be made in large batches, if you choose, for tasty leftovers. We all know soups taste better the second day around, anyway.

Halloween is a holiday celebrated on the night of Oct. 31. Most other Western countries have also embraced Halloween as a part of American pop culture.
Halloween is also called Pooky Night in some parts of Ireland, presumably named after the pookah, a mischievous spirit.
Many European cultural traditions believe that Halloween is when the spirit world can make contact with the natural world and when magic is most potent.

Extra virgin olive oil is one of the few oils that we consume that doesn’t go through some type of chemical processing. Fresh- pressed olive oil can be eaten immediately, retaining its natural flavors, vitamins and minerals.
Like a fine wine, each variety of olive oil must be evaluated through tasting and its acidity measured before bottling.

Many Southern foods are similar to Pennsylvania Dutch cooking, of which I am quite familiar. That’s not so surprising, though, because the heritage of both of these cultures is deeply rooted in farming. Of course, each region has some of its own unique ingredients and methods.
The Southern pantry
Some of my favorite foods, like shellfish, catfish, sweet potatoes, pecans and red beans and rice, are included in the Southern pantry.

My definition of a casserole is a combination of foods that are cooked together slowly in an oven in the dish/pot that will be used for serving. As a cooking method, it was derived from the ancient practice of slowly stewing meat in earthenware containers.

Cabbage is one of our oldest vegetables and continues to be a dietary staple and a fairly inexpensive food. It is easy to grow, tolerates the cold and is rich in vitamin C and fiber.
Just cut up some fresh cabbage, sprinkle it with lemon and enjoy it as a mid-day snack. Or, use it with your favorite tossed salad or pasta dish; or, my favorite, make some fresh cabbage soup.

Almost every morning, millions of Americans reach for that cup of “Joe” to help wake up. At our house, it sometimes takes two pots to be able to speak or think clearly.
Not only is coffee the beverage of choice for most Americans to help jump start their days, but when consumed in moderation, coffee also has many health benefits.
It’s not just for drinking anymore. With its strong, earthy, slightly bitter flavor, coffee can help to create complex flavors and add those flavors to many different dishes.

Ice cream is made by mixing cream, sugar and flavorings (like chocolate or strawberry) and then carefully lowering the mixture’s temperature until it sets. Using salt to help control the temperature of the ingredients, along with the invention of the home ice cream freezer, was a major breakthrough in creating ice cream as we now know it.

Few of us have the time to make fresh pasta at home, except maybe for a special occasion. Most of the time, it’s just commercially prepared dry pasta out of a box. But when properly cooked, good quality commercially prepared pasta can taste just as good as making it at home.
Cooking pasta is as easy as boiling water, but it does require a little care. Use about a quart of water per quarter pound of pasta, or six quarts per pound. The pasta will be become slightly gummy if you don’t use enough water.

I was born and raised in Canton, Ohio, home of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Growing up in northeastern Ohio, I soon learned there was only one sport played in that area—football. From the sandlots, to Pee-Wee League, to Junior League, to high school, to college, to pro football…football was and still is king.
My wife, Karen, and I were married in May 1966 and we (she) raised two football players (what else?), Sean and Aaron, and called Akron, Ohio, our home until retiring to southeastern coastal North Carolina in 2001.